Fruit cooling apparatus



March 10, E. H.'GREENE FRUIT COOLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 19:59

Patented Mar. 10, 1942 Application January 4, 1939, Serial No. 249,201

7 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigeration or cooling systems, and more particularly to apparatus for cooling of fruits and vegetables preparatory to shipping.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a cooling apparatus of this class whereby fruits, vegetables, or the like, may be cooled quickly and efliciently, and also continu ously or progressively directly when or before loading or storing the same on a transporting vehicle for shipment from a warehouse, conveyances, or the like.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a cooler which is compact, and which may be readily transported from one location to another, particularly for convenience and economy of loading from storage spaces or transportingvehicles in different parts of the same I general location.

An important object also of this invention is the provision of a novel apparatus for carrying out a novel, eflicient, and economical method of cooling fruits, vegetables, and the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cooling means which is simple and economical of construction, proportionate to its functions, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a cooling apparatus having certain novel features of constructi'cn, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon, which forma part of this application,

in which:

Fig. l is a sectional plan: of my cooling 'appa laws in a preferred form, the section being taken at ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a; vertical section thereof taken through 2-2 of Fig. 1; a

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof, taken through 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, similar to Fig.2, principally diagrammatic, showing a slightly modified form of construction; and,

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively diagrammatic vertical and horizontal sections of my cooling apparatus in another modified form.

In all of the structures shown, the cooling apparatus is confined in a long enclosure I of rectangular cross-section. In the structure of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 this enclosure has a plurality of horizontal, longitudinally extending, parallel tunnels A, arranged in different series in superimposed horizontal planes, and formed by a plurality of longitudinal vertical walls 2 and one longitudinal horizontal wall 3.

The tunnels in each horizontal series are connected at their ends by passages B so as to provide a circuitous or zig-zag tunnel or conduit. This tunnel or conduit has an inlet C at one end and a discharge opening D at'its opposite end.

One of the ends of each tunnel is connected with the coincident end of the other tunnel of each pair of superimposed tunnels by a'vertical passage E. The opposite ends are closed with respect to each other except as hereinafter described.

In each of the tunnels is a longitudinally extending belt conveyor II. It may be slightly inclined as and for the reason hereinafter described. Each conveyor is short of both ends of the tunnel in which it is located.

At the passages 13, which connect the ends of the horizontally adjacent tunnels A, are located conveyor portions I2, which may be semi-circularly shaped, downwardly inclined open chutes, as shown. rollers, as indicated by B in Fig. '1. The conveyors H are inclined upwardly toward their discharge ends which terminate at the semi-circular chutes or guides. These chutes or guides are then inclined downwardly'and'terminate at the low ends of the next conveyor ii. Thus, boxes of fruit are positively conveyed on the belts H on to the chutes l2 and then proceed by gravity to the next conveyor belt ii, and are then again carried and elevated to the next semi-circular chute.

Near the 10w end of the first conveyor belt It is a feedconveyor I which deposits boxes of fruit, or the like, through the opening C on the lower end'of the first belt conveyor ll.

At the discharge end of the last conveyor belt in the series may be a diverting guide l5 which may direct the product, indicated by F, to the discharge conveyor extending through the discharge opening D of the enclosure. It is ob vious of course, that the links and number of the conveyors H may vary to suit conditions.

- and also that the feed and discharge conveyors may be placed at different portions of the enclosure.

This system of conveyors is duplicated in superimposed stages.

At one of the ends of the enclosure" are provided cooling coils 21, which may be evaporator coils of a refrigeration system. These coils ar spaced between and from one end of the conveyor and the adjacent end wall. The vertical walls 2 are extended, as indicated by 2, and

transversely divide the coils into sections 2|, and also the compartments at either side thereof, so that, in 'eflect, horizontallyspaced passages G are provided which connect the superimposed tunnels. I At the upper ends of the These chutes may have radiating to the trays or racks by reversing the positions of the sections M are separate fan blades or propellers 22 which force air through the upper of the-respectivesuperimposed tunnels, downwardly at the opposite ends of the tunnels and in the opposite direction through the lower tunnels, through the respective cooling coilsection 2|, upwardly through the respective passage G, and again through the upper end of the same coil section to the fan blade. Thus, cooling air is continuously and separately circulated through each of the superimposed tunnels.

It will be noted that the portion of the enclosure l, containing the cooling coils 2|, passages G, and propellers 22, in an end section I of the enclosure in such a manner that this section may be readily removed, and attached to other like conveyor systems.

Thestructure shown in Fig. 4 is an enlargement of the foregoing system, and shows :four superimposed tunnels A. The two middle tunnels are substantial duplicates of the structure heretofore described. The upper and lower tunnels may be positioned in substantially the same vertical plane, but the ends are connected by vertical passages H and I, located beyond the ends of the intermediate structure, as shown in Fi 4. In Figs. 5 and 6 the conveyor system, designated J, for each series or unit travels in a vertical plane, while the cooling air circuits travel in horizontal'planes. The conveyor J in each series or unit is continuous and may consist of a pair of spaced belts 3| and 32 travelling around suitable sprockets or guides (shown in Fig. 5), and carrying between the same, depending racks 33. The several horizontal sections J of the conveyor J are separated by horizontal walls 34, as shown. The means for feeding fruit boxes 33 of the conveyor, may consist .of a table 35, so positioned that a box, or other product, may be readily projected through the enclosure onto the approaching tray or rack. The boxes, or other product, may be removed ina similar manner onto a table 36 placed below the former table. Ofcourse, the direction of the conveyor may be reversed, theretable 35 and 36. system may be but the circuit The cooling or air circulating constructed as described above,

may be supported of the circulating air is in horizontal planes.

The tunnels A are also connected at the ends by passages B, which in this instance are vertical.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, and certain modiflcations thereof, I do not wish to be limited tov the same, but, desire to include in the scope of l my invention, the construction, combination,

conveyors moving in opposite 'end of one conveyor to the feed and arrangement, substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A conveyor means for a cooler, comprising a successive series of belt conveyors, arranged side by side and substantially parallel to each other and in a horizontal plane, the adjacent directions, downwardly inclined chutes connecting the discharge conveyor, and. a cooling air circulating system for directing a current of cooling air longitudinally oi. each conveyor.

end of the next 'stantially restricted nally of and contiguous to corresponding conveyors of each conveyor means.

3. In a cooler of the class described, separate circuitous conveyor means, each means com prising a successive series of communicating parallel belt conveyors, the separate means being arranged in horizontal superimposed planes, and a cooling air circulating system comprising separate units, each unit providing a continuous cooling air circuit for directing currents of cooling air longitudinally of superimposed conveyors of each conveyor means.

4. In a cooler of the class described, a series of horizontally arranged parallel tunnels, the coincident ends of the tunnels of each series being connected to form a circuitous conduit, said series having a feed and discharge means at theopposite ends, a belt conveyor in each tunnel, the conveyors in horizontally adjacent tunnels travelling in opposite directions, means connecting the ends of adjacent conveyors through the tunnel connections, a coolingair circulating system, comprising separate units, each unit consisting of air cooling and' circulating means, each unit forming horizontally adjacent/substantially restricted circuits for circulating" cooling air through one tunnel of the series.

5. In a cooler of the class described, a multiplicity of superimposed series of horizontally arranged parallel tunnels, the coincident ends of the tunnels of each series being connected to form a circuitous conduit, each series having a feed and discharge means, for articles to be cooled, at the opposite ends, a belt conveyor in each tunnel, the conveyors in horizontally adjacent tunnels travelling in opposite directions,

means connecting the ends of adjacent conveyors through the tunnel connections, a cooling air circulating system, comprising separate units, each unit forming horizontally adjacent, subcircuits for circulating cooling air through a unit of superimposed tunnels.

6. In a cooler of the class described, a series of horizontally arranged parallel tunnels, the

coincident ends of the tunnels of each series being connected to form a circuitous conduit, said series having a feed and discharge means at the opposite ends, a belt conveyor in each tunnel, the conveyors in horizontally adjacent tunnels travelling in opposite directions, means connecting the ends of adjacent conveyors through the tunnel connections, and a cooling air circulating system for circulating cooling air through the tunnels.

7. In a cooler of the class described, separate circuitous conveyor means, each means comprising a successive series of communicating horizontally adjacentparallel belt conveyors, the

separate means being arranged in parallel planes, and a cooling air circulating system for directing currents of cooling air longitudinally of and contiguous to conveyors of each conveyor means.

, 'Emmrr H.'GREE NE. 

